Jeff has been involved in aerospace journalism since the mid 1990s. Prior to joining Aviation Week, Jeff served as managing editor of Launchspace magazine and the International Space Industry Report. He has been the editor and chief of Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report since 2007 and has been a regular contributor to Aviation Week magazine. He received his B.A. from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began its border patrol flights using Northrop Grumman's Hunter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) this week, according to an industry source. "They're using two RQ-5 Hunters, and they're just going to be using EO/IR [electro-optical/infrared] sensors, and they're going to make flights up and down the Arizona border near the area of Fort Huachuca," the source told The DAILY (DAILY, Nov. 4). Awaiting approval
The U.S. Air Force Space Battlelab's Near Space Maneuvering Vehicle (NSMV) program plans to test fly a revised propeller design at 100,000 feet altitude later this month, according to NSMV Program Manager Maj. Robert Blackington. Part of Air Force Space Command (AFSPC), the Air Force Space Battlelab is exploring various technologies for exploiting "near space" altitudes, which are roughly defined as 65,000-300,000 feet. The first applications for this regime are likely to be surveillance and communications relay (DAILY, Sept. 15).
The European Union's (EU) pricing plan for certain Galileo satellite navigation services is expected to emerge toward the end of the year, according to Michael Shaw, director of navigation and spectrum policy for the U.S. Transportation Department. "The Europeans are faced with how do we fund for this system, and at least they would like to charge for some of these services," Shaw said during a presentation at the Air Traffic Controllers Association (ATCA) symposium in Washington on Nov. 3.
